Best Places to See the Hollywood Sign, From Easy Views to Hikes

We could spot the Hollywood Sign from the car. You can see it from parts of LA as you drive around, and honestly, that's so cool. You just look up and there it is.

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In this guide 9 sections

Wow!

Cream and I went up to the terraces of Griffith Observatory to see it properly, and for us Griffith was the best place to see the Hollywood Sign. The one surprise was the size. From up there the sign is a little farther away and smaller than I expected.

So where you go depends on what you want. A classic view with the whole city around it is free and pretty simple. A close-up takes more work. And touching the letters isn't allowed at all.

Where Is the Best Place to See the Hollywood Sign? My Quick Answer

• Best view without a hike: Griffith Observatory. It's free, and the city is spread out below you too.
• Closest without a hike: Lake Hollywood Park, a small park almost right under the sign.
• From Hollywood Boulevard: the viewing bridge at Ovation Hollywood, above the Hollywood/Highland Metro station.
• From the car: the Hollywood Bowl Overlook on Mulholland Drive.
• Closest you can legally get: the top of Mount Lee, right behind the letters, on a 3- to 6.5-mile hike.
• At night: the sign isn't lit, so go before sunset.

Still need a place to stay? I'd look at these three.

Can You Get Close to the Hollywood Sign?

We saw it from Griffith and from the car. You can get pretty close. You can't walk up to the letters, though.

It's in a restricted area behind a fence. Security cameras watch it around the clock, and a police officer is stationed nearby.¹ Trespassing is illegal. Anyone who climbs the fence for a selfie can get cited or arrested. I wouldn't risk it for a photo.

Your closest legal spot is behind and above it, at the top of Mount Lee.² From there you look down on the backs of the letters through a chain-link fence, and the whole city is spread out past them. You have to hike. Routes are in the list below.

If I wanted the close-up without planning a route, I'd book a guided hike. They take you to views of the front and the back of the sign in about two and a half hours, and there's no route or parking to figure out. Shorter guided walks just stop for photos along the way.

Compare Hollywood Sign hikes and tours

For a close view without hiking, Lake Hollywood Park puts you almost underneath the sign, looking up. It's the one I'd pick after Griffith.

The Best Places to See the Hollywood Sign

We only did the first one. I've put the rest in order of difficulty, and all of them are free with no ticket needed.

1. Griffith Observatory // The Best View Without a Hike

Griffith Observatory is where I'd send anyone first. You get the Hollywood Sign on one side and all of Los Angeles on the other, and you don't have to hike a step! We went on an afternoon in February 2024.

From there it's about a mile and a half away, though. It looks smaller than in the movies. I'd zoom in a little for photos.

Entry is free. It's closed on Mondays. Its grounds and terraces stay open daily. Parking at the top is paid, about $10 an hour in 2024.³ An Uber or Lyft can drop you right by the entrance. Without a car, the DASH Observatory bus runs up from the Vermont/Sunset Metro station for 50 cents.⁴

Griffith has a lot more. Our Griffith Observatory guide covers what's inside and the best time to go.

• Who it's for: first-timers, anyone without hiking shoes, and anyone who also wants the city view.
• Skip it if: you want the sign big in your photo. Go to Lake Hollywood Park instead.

2. Lake Hollywood Park // The Closest View Without a Hike

I'd pick Lake Hollywood Park for a close-up. It's a small grassy park at 3160 Canyon Lake Drive, high in the Hollywood Hills right below the sign. From the lawn the letters fill a lot more of the frame than they do from Griffith.

There's no parking lot, only street parking along Canyon Lake Drive. It fills up on weekends. It's worse around sunset. People live on these narrow and curvy streets. I'd park legally and never block a driveway. A rideshare drop-off saves the hunt for a spot.

• Who it's for: anyone who wants the sign big and close without breaking a sweat.
• Skip it if: you want the city view as well. There's no skyline from here.
• Hours: sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs are welcome.

3. Hollywood Bowl Overlook on Mulholland Drive // The Quickest Stop by Car

I'd stop here on a drive. Its real name is the Jerome C. Daniel Overlook, and it's a pullout at 7036 Mulholland Drive.

To the east you see the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory, and below you are the Hollywood Bowl and Downtown LA.⁵ It's at an angle and quite far off.

Its lot is tiny. Tour vans use it too. If it's full, wait a few minutes for a spot rather than stopping on the curve.

• Who it's for: anyone with a rental car on a scenic drive. If that's your plan, book a car at LAX.
• Skip it if: you don't have a car. It's out of the way by rideshare.

4. Ovation Hollywood // The Easiest From Hollywood Boulevard

I'd pair it with the Boulevard. Ovation Hollywood is the shopping center at Hollywood and Highland next to the TCL Chinese Theatre. Several upper levels look straight up at the hills, and the bridge on the fourth level is the best of them.⁶

Metro's B Line stops underneath at Hollywood/Highland, so it's the easiest view to reach by train.

It's small from here, but you can see it on the same visit as the Walk of Fame.

• Who it's for: anyone already on Hollywood Boulevard, and anyone getting around by Metro.
• Skip it if: you're going to Griffith or Lake Hollywood Park. Their views are better.

5. Mount Hollywood Trail // The Easiest Hike With a Sign View

I'd add this hike if you're at Griffith with energy to spare, since it starts right at the back of the observatory parking lot. At the top you look west across to the sign, and the observatory is below you.

It's wide and busy. Much of it is sunny.

• Hike: a loop of about 2.65 miles with roughly 500 feet of climbing.
• Who it's for: Griffith visitors with an extra hour or two and some energy.
• Skip it if: it's a hot afternoon.

6. Brush Canyon Trail to Mount Lee // The Classic Hike Behind the Sign

This is the hike I'd pick. It's the best-known route to the top of Mount Lee and the classic view from behind. It starts at the Brush Canyon trailhead at the north end of Canyon Drive in Griffith Park, and it climbs wide fire roads and then a paved service road all the way up.

About a quarter mile in, a short detour leads to Bronson Caves, the tunnel used as the Batcave in the 1960s Batman TV show!

There's a parking lot at the trailhead. It fills early on weekends. There's no shade at all on the upper half. Bring plenty of water.

• Hike: about 6.4 miles round trip with about 1,050 feet of climbing.⁷
• Who it's for: fit visitors who want the closest legal view and the city behind it.
• Skip it if: you're short on time or it's hot. Lake Hollywood Park is a lot easier.

7. Mount Lee via Innsdale Drive // The Shortest Way Behind the Sign

I'd take this for less climbing. It starts on Innsdale Drive near Lake Hollywood Park. It follows Mulholland Highway and then the paved Mount Lee Drive to the summit, and for a stretch the sign seems to be right above your head.

Parking is on the street. It's a residential neighborhood.

• Hike: about 4.6 miles round trip with about 750 feet of climbing.
• Who it's for: hikers who want the summit with less climbing than Brush Canyon.
• Skip it if: you'd rather start from a parking lot.

8. Cahuenga Peak via the Wonder View Trail // The Steepest Hike Behind the Sign

I'd save it for fit hikers. It's short, but parts of it are very steep. You climb from Lake Hollywood Drive to Cahuenga Peak just west of the sign. From the top you look down on the backs of the letters.

Park on Lake Hollywood Drive. There's no parking up top.

• Hike: about 3 miles round trip with about 875 feet of climbing.
• Who it's for: experienced hikers who want the quietest route.
• Skip it if: you're not used to steep, loose trails.

Skip: The Hollyridge Trail From Beachwood Canyon

I'd ignore any guide that sends you up Beachwood Drive to the Hollyridge Trail. LA closed that entrance to hikers in 2017 after a court ruling and sent them to the Canyon Drive and Vermont Canyon entrances instead.⁸

Beachwood Canyon is also a residential neighborhood with permit-only parking on many streets. I'd start at Brush Canyon or Lake Hollywood Park instead.

Viewpoint	How close	Hike	Best for
Griffith Observatory	Far, with the city view	None	First visit
Lake Hollywood Park	Close, from below	None	The biggest no-hike view
Hollywood Bowl Overlook	Far, at an angle	None	A stop by car
Ovation Hollywood	Far	None	Hollywood Boulevard and Metro
Mount Hollywood	Medium	About 2.65 miles, easy	Griffith add-on
Brush Canyon to Mount Lee	Closest, from behind	About 6.4 miles, moderate	The classic hike
Innsdale Drive to Mount Lee	Closest, from behind	About 4.6 miles, moderate	A shorter climb
Wonder View to Cahuenga Peak	Close, from behind	About 3 miles, steep	Experienced hikers

Hollywood Sign Hike Tips

I'd go early on any of these hikes. Authorized trails are open from sunrise to sunset all year. Stay on them, because anything off-trail near the sign is restricted.

• Beat the heat. There's very little shade above the canyon floors, and LA afternoons get hot for much of the year.
• Bring water. Don't count on finding a drinking fountain on the way up.
• Mind the fire danger. The hills are dry for most of the year, and the Hollywood Sign Trust warns of extreme fire danger on the trails.
• Expect company. Weekends are busy on every route, especially Brush Canyon.

Can You See the Hollywood Sign at Night?

Not after dark. The Hollywood Sign isn't lit at night,² apart from a few special events. Once it's dark the hills go black.

For sunset I'd go to Griffith Observatory. Its grounds stay open until 10:30 PM, so you can catch the sign in the last of the light and then stay for the city lights after.

Is Hollywood Boulevard Worth It?

Yes, once. I think you have to go, because you need to see the Walk of Fame and the TCL Chinese Theatre for yourself. But it's really busy and crowded and touristy.

There are so many people on the sidewalk!

So go, but just quickly. Then you can say you saw it. I wouldn't go more than once personally.

If you do go, pair it with the Ovation Hollywood view next to the theater, and then head to Griffith or Lake Hollywood Park for a better look at the sign.

Getting to the Hollywood Sign Views Without a Car

We didn't drive in LA. You don't need to for most of these.

• Griffith Observatory: Metro B Line to Vermont/Sunset, then the DASH Observatory bus, or an Uber to the entrance.
• Ovation Hollywood: Metro B Line to Hollywood/Highland. From Downtown LA it's about 17 minutes, and from Santa Monica it's about an hour and 10 minutes with a change to the B Line.
• Lake Hollywood Park and the Mount Lee trails: rideshare. There's no handy transit to the hills.

Getting around LA by train and bus is covered in getting around without a car.

A Short History of the Hollywood Sign

I'd know this story before you go. It went up in 1923 as a billboard for a real estate development, and it originally read "Hollywoodland."

The "land" came off in 1949. By the 1970s the old sign was falling apart. It was torn down and rebuilt in steel in 1978, paid for by donors who each sponsored a letter.⁹ Today the letters are about 45 feet tall.

Where I'd Send a Friend for the Sign

If a friend asked me where to get the classic Hollywood Sign photo, I'd tell them to go to Griffith. It's free, there's no hike, and you get the sign and the city in one shot. If it looks a little smaller than you pictured, that's what Lake Hollywood Park and the Mount Lee trails are for.

And on the drive there, keep looking up at the hills.

Next Steps for Your Los Angeles Trip

• Griffith Observatory: How to Visit
• Where to Stay in Downtown LA
• Getting Around Santa Monica Without a Car
• Where to Stay in Santa Monica